USD Magazine Summer 2013

“THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, IT’S NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE DONE, IT’S ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN STILL DO.”

For Changemaker Scholarship winner Dylan Heyden ‘13, there’s an undeniable synergy between his life passions of sur fing and ser vice. And the world will be all the better for it.

“Before I came to USD, the idea of service for me, like it is for a lot of people, was pretty simple: how can I contribute and make an immediate impact with my contribution? Whether it’s serving a certain number of meals, providing a certain number of donations … it’s easy to try to measure service in that way. Now, I feel like more comes with the feeling of solidarity you get being with other people who share your level of commitment and ideals. And there are lots of people like that at USD! Surfing puts me in the mind frame of living simply, living humbly. You get this joy of just being in the water; if anything I think that’s a feeling that’s universal, something that connects people all over the world. I’m currently working on a senior thesis on how sustainable surf projects can promote peace within destabilized communities, and I’ve done some volunteer work in Nicaragua where we are trying to develop a sustainable businesses for local people based off surf and eco-tourism. When I think about winning the Changemaker scholarship, the first thing that comes to mind is a sense of gratitude for the many opportunities it will create for me. It’s proof positive that I’m on the right path to making a difference in the lives of others. I’m really excited about the opportunities the future holds, and I know my experience at USD will help me maximize those opportunities.”

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